Sorted by Topic: Supply Chain Management
Ethical Issues in eCommerce: Are you violating any of them?
(This post was originally published in April 2015 and updated in November 2017. We’ve updated it for accuracy and completeness.)
We spend a lot of time talking about things that build our eCommerce business; things like marketing and SEO and data analysis. But, most people who expand their business to the web forget about some of the fundamental ethical issues at hand.
Josiah Stamp, an early 20th century economist, said, “It is easy to dodge our responsibilities, but we cannot dodge the consequences of dodging our responsibilities.” That was a century ago, but in a modern world, which is more transparent than ever, business ethics remain extremely important.
If you run an eCommerce business, you need to understand the ethical implications of your business. Ethics are good for the soul. But, they’re also good for the bottom line.
This post dives into the ethical issues in eCommerce that you should be thinking about.
How to Find Manufacturers or Suppliers for Your Products
(This is a guest post from our friends over at Private Label Sk.In, a private label manufacturer for high quality skin care solutions.)
Building a strong business depends on making a steady profit while also meeting your customers’ expectations for a good product and a positive buying experience. Selecting the right manufacturer or supplier is one of the most important steps you can take toward meeting these goals – and making a less than ideal choice can drag down your profits. These tips below can guide you through the process of finding the best source of products for your business.
Start Improving Your Last-Mile Delivery Today
As eCommerce sales continue to rise, so has consumer expectations of delivery transparency, accuracy, and speed. With pressure from Amazon and Walmart, most retailers are scrambling to find innovative ways to lower costs and increase shipping speeds of packages.
It’s no surprise then that last-mile delivery has become top of mind for most retailers. Those willing to invest in optimizing their processes could turn their logistics into their differentiator. In a time when customers no longer buy based on price alone, retailers must meet expectations on all other aspects of the customer experience.
If you want to improve your last-mile delivery this year, check out our overview of it that includes its challenges, innovative ways brands are tackling the issue, and what you can start doing today to improve your logistics. (more…)
eCommerce Order Fulfillment: Picking the Best Fulfillment Strategy for Your Online Business
One of the most frustrating experiences for online shoppers is receiving an online order late or never at all. A bad experience like this can ensure that customer doesn’t shop with you again.
Despite its importance, online merchants tend to overlook their shipping and fulfillment strategy. Others might know it’s important, but find it’s too confusing or complex to optimize. Either way, you could be losing sales and wasting money by not improving your fulfillment strategy.
To help merchants navigate the complexities of eCommerce order fulfillment, this guide helps you determine the best fulfillment strategy for your business. (more…)
Why Your eCommerce Return Policy is More Important than Ever
When you sell online, dealing with returns is unavoidable. Customers return products for many reasons such as a damaged product, wrong item, product looks different than online, or they purposely ordered different sizes or colors.
High return rates are a problem for eCommerce sellers. It can ruin your profitability. However, many sellers tend to overlook their return policies and processes.
Your return strategy is an integral part of your eCommerce strategy. If you haven’t put much thought into it, see why you should now. (more…)